New York Film & Video Day 2 – Continued

So I’m posting this as the party at the Telephone Bar (149 2nd Ave) is happening around me. It’s not all work, I’ve partaken of a glass of wine and my fare share of bar food. The Telephone bar is also where I spent most of the afternoon, as their free Wifi is good and fast and their delicious brunches come with a Bloody Mary!

This evening’s film selections were much more “inspiring” (see Day 1 post).

The First Concert (17 min) Director: Stefanie Borges (pictured) (Australia)
A truly sweet film about a little girl of maybe 7 or 8 who lives with her grandmother in a charming but poor little farmhouse. After hearing a neighbor play the piano the little girl is convinced she’s supposed to be a great pianist and goes about playing air piano at every moment. Of course the grandmother wants to provide her with a piano but can’t afford to do so. The lighting, film quality and endearingness of the film sets this little film apart.
Rating : 3 Tines
Failing Better Now (93 min) Director: Keren Atzmon (USA)
I choose this film because Joyce De Witt is in it (Janet from Three’s Company) She looks much better than her DUI pic from a year or two ago, but she still has that horrible nose job she got in the last season of the show. She plays a high energy, cocktail loving, florist (a nod to the show) and mother of Mia (Lindsay Michelle Nader). Mia is an aspiring writer who’s just turned 30 and feels she’s a screw up that’s never going to really get it together. She’s really just a normal 30 year old, spending a little too much time in bars, sleeping with one or two too many non-boyfriend types and hating her job, from which she gets fired. When she also gets kicked out of her apartment she begs her sister, Anna (Julie Mcniven) for a place to crash. Anna is going out of town and reluctantly agrees, as long as Mia takes care of her cat Bernard. Yes, of course Bernard gets lost, and a sexy musician lends a hand on the search after Mia comes through his window wearing Wonder Woman undies an a little pink sweater. But this is not a typical romantic-comedy, the dialogue and the tone is more natural. In some ways Mia reminds me of Anne Hathaway’s character in Rachel Getting Married, the relationship between the sisters is reminiscent of this movie as well. Spoiler Alert! Bernard is never found, but Mia gets a little closer to finding herself.

Rating: 3 Tines

The film of the night was Still The Drums, I didn’t see it, but the line for that film was pretty major and there was a lot of pre-screening press. I just sat next to a woman, Ann Witek and her gorgeous grandson, R.J. Farkas (see pic) Anne’s nephew, Bobby Figero, played Mike in the film. She came on a bus with 35 friends and family to see the show, which explains the line. She wanted to know how I could concentrate with all the ruckus going on around me? It’s funny, but I already feel like I’ve done enough of these festivals alone to no longer feel self-conscious at the events. I know I can strike up a conversation with someone and have something to say, or I can just eat and drink and observe or I can sit and write. I’m totally cool with whatever the scene brings. I met the filmmaker from On The Market and he wants me to view his screener and write a review; really I think I’ve finally found my calling. They always say do what you love and income will follow, I’m banking on that being true.